Internal-combustion engine



May 7 1929. N L.. M. wooLsoN 1,712,464

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July l, 1922 Patented May 7, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,712,464 PATENT OFFICE.

LIONEL M. WOOLSON, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR 'IO PACKARD* MOTORCAR COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A. CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

IN TERNAIi-COIYIBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed my i, 1922. seran No. 572,152.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and particularly to the cooling means therefor'.

@ne of the objects of the invention is to .provide a method of cooling internal combust-.ion engines in which steam is employed as the means for circulating the cooling liquid.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the` engine may operate at a rather high temperature so that it Will be more eiiicient.

Another object of the invention is to provide steam means for delivering cooling water to the engine jacket and withdrawing it therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to eli1ninate mechanical means such as pumps Vfor circulating the water through the cylinder jacket of an internal combustion engine.

`Another object ofthe invention is to provide means for intermittently feeding Water to the cylinder Water jacket.

Another object of the inventionis to provide means for forcing cooling Water into the cylinder jacket and then withdrawing it therefrom and cooling it in a suitable radiator, the feeding and withdrawing being accomplished, in one form of the invention, through the same pipe.

@ther objects ot the invention will appear from the following 'description taken in connection With the drawings, which form a partof this specification, and in Which:

F 1 isan elevation and partsectional view of an internal combustion engine and cooling` meansmade inaccordance With this invention; and

.li` 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing another `form ofthe invention.

Referring to the-drawings 10 represents a cylinder block of an internal combustion engine having a Water jacket 11 as shown in section in the -upper le`ft-hand corner. ik radiator of usual type is illustrated at 12 and pipe connections 13 and 1a extend between the lower parts of the radiator and Water jacket and the upper parts thereof respectively. It Will be understood that the radiator 12 has a filling cap 15 by Which Water may be supplied tothe system and cap isladapted to be tightly closed so that pressure in the system may be mainn "?;ine..

Connected to the upper part ofthe Water jacket 11 or to the pipe 14 is a chamber 1G which may be termed a steam chamber, the connection to the pipe 14 being made through a smaller pipe 17. Surrounding the steam chamber 16 is a condensing jacket 18 which is vented to the atmosphere as at 19, this being the only ventin the system. `The pipe 20 connects the `lower part of the jacket 18 with the lower part of the radiator `12, or as particularly shown in Fig. 1 this pipe 2() connects with the pipe 13 adjacent the radiator. In the pipe 13 are one-Way valves 21 and 22, the valve 21Abcing mounted between.

the radiator andthe pipe connection 20 and the valve 22 being arranged betweensaid pipe connection and the cylinder Water jacket.

The operation of the system is as follows:

` With the system full of water, that is up to the top of the filler opening 15, and the engine started, the system will first operate as a simple thermosiphon system, the Water after itis heated in the jacket 11 flowing through the pipe 14 into the radiator 12 and the cooler Water from the radiator Howing past the valves 21 and 22 into the lower part of the Walter jacket 11. But soon as the Water in the jacket 11 is heated to the point where steam is formed the latter will enter the steam chamber 16 through the pipe 1.7 and will at `the same time create a pres-` sure in the system, Which, by reason of the valves `21 and 22 will forcejthe water in the radiator 12 upwardly through the pipe 20 into the condensing jacket `18, the air inthe jacket 18 esca-ping through the vent 19. This cool Water entering the jacket 18 will cause the steam in the chamber 16 to condense and this will, of course, create a partial vaccuum in the chamber 1G. This partial vacuum will, by reason of the valves 21 and ,22, draw Water upwardly through the `Water jacket 11 and pipe 13 thus withdrawing the Water from the condensing jacket 18 through the pipe 20, the Water in the radiator 12 remaining there because of the greater' head of Water in the pipe 20, the jacket 18 being higher than the top of the radiator 12.A This cooler Water entering the jacket 11 Will, of course, cool the motor somewhat but as soon as it is again. heated the steam "Will form and again enter the chemisier Wand the operation 'will be reAA j'ieatcd. `Thus there is an intermittent feeding. ofcool water to the jac ret 11 and an intermittent withdrawal ot water therefrom. There are no mechanical `operating parts except the two valves 21 and 22 and these are operated merely by the iow of water past them.y Y

Referring to the construction illustrated in Fig.2, a somewhat similar cylinder block is illustrated 'at 10 but the main water jacket thereof extends only around the sides of through openings 33 with the upper part of the mainjacket 30. 'A vent to the atmon sphere is provided in theupper part of the condensing jacket 32. Y Y

, A radiator 12 is provided and Iis of the `usual type except that itsA filling opening is so arranged that there is an overflow which prevents the radiator vbeing filled more than slightly above thev level of the tops of the cylinder heads. This filling openings is 1*shown* at 35 and is arranged to be tightly YAn overflow pipe 38 is provided so that theV closed by a valve 36 which is screw threaded into the upper part of the radiator as at 37.

radiator' cannot be filled above the line 39 which indicates the water level. Y

The lower part ofthe radiator 12 is con? vnected to the main wat-er jacket of the enj gine by a pipe 40 and the upper part of the radiator is connected to the steam chamber f 31 by a pipe41. A very small port or opening 42 vis provided between the lower part of the steam chamber 31 and the condensing jacket 32`and a plug 43 is shown as filling lthe opening made forthe purpose ot drilling the port 42..y l v The operation of the system illustrated in VFig. 2-is as follows: The system is filled with ,water tothe level 39 thus providing a small amount of water over the cylinder heads in `Vthe steamchamberf31. With the valve 36 firmly seatedthe entire system is closed except for they vent 34@ at the upper part of thecondensing jacket 32. When the engine is started the heat in the cylinders uickly heats the small amount of water on t e cyl'- inder heads and steam is formed. The pressure of this steam communicated to the radiator through the pipe 41 forces the water from the radiator.through'the pipe 40 and upwardly through the main water jacket 30. The water in saidjacket flows through the openings 33 into the condensing jacket 32, the air escaping through the vent 34. This cool fwater in thejacket 32 condenses the steam in the steam chamber 31 and a partial vacuumY is formed therein. This partial vacuum is, of course, communicated to the radiator 12 and water is withdrawn from the main jacket 3() through the pipe 40 into the radiator where it is cooled by the air passing theretnrough. As the water recedos t rom the condensing jacket 32 steam is again formed in the steam chamber 31 and the opera-tion is repeated.

It will be understood that various forms of the invent-ion other than those described above may be used without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having thus described my inif'cntion, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters latent is:

1. A method ot cooling the cylinder of an internal combustion cugino consisting in subjecting a small portion of the cooling water to a hotI part of the cylinder thus causing expansion of said portion of cooling water, forcing, by this expansivo action, somo of the cooling water into condensing relation with the expanded portion thus condensing the latter, witlnlrawing, by thc partial vacuum caused by this condensing action, the cooling waicr from its relation to the condensed portion, and subjecting the withdrawn water to a cooling medium.

2. A method ot cooling the cylinder of an internal combustion engine consisting in subjecting a small portion ot thc cooling water to a hot part of the cylinder thus ausing expansion thereof, forcing, by this expansive action, solne of the cooling water into condensing relation with the expanded portion thus condensing the latter while at the same time causing some of the cooling water to flow in cooling relation to other parts of the engine cylinder, witinlrawing, by the partial vacuum caused by this condensing action, thc cooling water from its relation to the condensed portion, and subjecting the withdrawn water to a cooling medium.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with the water jacket thereof, of a closed steam chamber, a condensing jacket surrounding the steam chamber, and means for causing steam to enter said chamber and condense therein.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with the water jacket thereof, of a closed steam cylinder connected to the upper part of the water jacket only, a condensing jacket surrounding the steam cylinder, and means for intermittently forcing some of the cooling water into the condensing jacket.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with the water jacket thereof, of a steamchamber, a condensing 'ackct snrrounding the steam chamber, a radiator, und means for alternately forcing some of the cooling water from the radiator to the condensing jacket and from the condensing jacket to the cylinder water jacket.

CTA

jacket and from the upper part of the water jacket to the radiator, oi a steam chamber connected to the upper part of the Water jacket, a condensing jacket surrounding the steam chamber, and a pipe connection eX- tending from the lower part of the radiator to the condensing jacke 8. In an internal combustion engine, the combination With the Water jacket thereof, a radiator, and pipe connections from the lower part ol the radiator to the Water jacket and from the upper part of the Water jacket to the radiator, of a steam chamber connected to the upper part of the Water jacket, a condensing jacket surrounding the steam chamber, and one-way valves between the radiator and the pipe connection to the condensing` jacket-and between the said latter pipe connection and the cylinder jacket.

9. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with the Water jacket thereof and a radiator, oi a steam chamber' con nected to the upper part of the Water jacket, a Vented condensing jacket surrounding the steam chamber, and a pipe connection from the lower part of the radiator to said con densing jacket.

10.` In an internal combustion engine, the combination with the Water jacket thereof and a radiator, of a steam chamber having an outlet to the radiator, and means actu ated by the condensation of steam in said steam chamber for forcing Water from the radiator to the Water jacket and then Withdrawing the Water from the Water jacket into the radiator.

l1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with the Water jacket thereof, a radiator, and circulating pipe connections between the jacket and the radiator, ot means to separate steam formed in said jackets, means operable by the pressure of said steam to periodically condense said steam to forni a vacuum, and means operable by said vacuum to circulate Water through the jackets.

12. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with the Water jacket thereof, of means to condense steam formed in said jacket to create an intermittent partial vacuum, and means operable by the variation of pressure in the jackets to force water into and` out of said acket.

13. In an internal combustion engine, the combination With the Water jacket thereof of means to intermittently condense steam formed in the jacket to produce a periodic,

Variation oi pressure therein, and means operable by said variation of pressure to circulate Water through said jacket.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

' LIONEL M. WooLsoN. 

